Liz Kuhlkin helped lead the Huskers to the National Championship Match Saturday night.

Photo Courtesy Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Communications

Courtesy: NU Athletic Communications

04/12/2013

Canton, Mich. - The Nebraska bowling team will go for their fourth NCAA title Saturday night, as the Huskers went 3-0 to advance to the championship round of the 2013 NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship Friday evening.

The Huskers, who were the top-seeded team after Thursday’s qualifying rounds, will take on seventh-seeded Vanderbilt in the Championship Match at 7 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU.

Nebraska is seeking its first NCAA title since 2009, as the Huskers also won the first two NCAA titles (2004 and 2005) after bowling became an NCAA-sponsored sport in 2003-04. This is the fifth time in 10 seasons of NCAA competition that Nebraska has reached the Championship match.

Straub was happy with how the team performed today; noting that the toughest part of the tournament is over.

“What they have done so far is way more demanding than what we have at task tomorrow.” Struab said, “What we are trying to do tomorrow is play at the best of our abilities, manage our fundamentals and control our emotions playing on TV. If you do that, you walk out of the tournament head held high regardless of the outcome.”

The Huskers started off Friday with a decisive victory over the University of Central Missouri 4-1 (242-171, 187-228, 172-163, 258-158, 255-170.)

NU went on to face two-time defending national champion Maryland-Eastern Shore. The Hawks were no match for the Huskers, as NU beat UMES, 4-1 (214-202, 183-176, 226-233, 226-189, 215-199.)

In the NCAA semifinals, NU played a very talented Arkansas State squad and advances to the National Championship game with a 4-1 victory (178-235, 193-169, 184-174, 207-192, 206-180.)

This will be the second time Nebraska has faced Vanderbilt during this week’s tournament. NU defeated VU 1,079-985 during Thursday’s qualifying round.

Vanderbilt beat two-time defending National Champion Maryland Eastern Shore in the semifinal round, after beating Fairleigh Dickinson and Arkansas State to reach the Championship Round.

The Nebraska bowling team will now compete in the NCAA Women’s Bowling National Championship game against Vanderbilt. The championship finals will air on ESPNU on Saturday, April 13, at 7 p.m. central. A tape-delay broadcast of the championship finals will air on ESPN on Sunday, April 14, from 1-2:30 p.m. (central).